Strategies

Encourage Healthy Food Choices: Help all Arizona families have the knowledge, skills and motivation to make healthy food choices. Conduct a coordinated statewide education campaign, empowering parents to make good nutrition decisions for their children.

Increase Families’ Access to Affordable, Fresh Produce: By working with local government, the private sector and the agricultural community, to increase access to neighborhood supermarkets, grocery stores or farmers’ markets selling affordable, fresh produce.

Provide Comprehensive Public Education about Available Assistance: Ensure all eligible Arizona families know about the food and nutrition programs available to them. Use aggressive, targeted, multilingual, community-based outreach to end the information deficit.

Maximize Participation in the Federal School Breakfast & Lunch Program: Ensure Arizona children get breakfast and lunch by maximizing participation in the successful Federal School Breakfast and Lunch Program.

Help After-School Programs Provide Healthy Meals & Snacks: Encourage Arizona providers of after-school programs to participate in the federal snack and supper programs to serve all children in need. Federal funding enhances the providers ability to provide healthy snacks in the afternoon and dinner for children whose parents work long hours.

Expand the Reach of the Summer Food Service Program: Help all Arizona providers of summer programs to participate in the Summer Food Service Program, to ensure they serve all eligible children, youth and adults in need. Building on the success of the Summer Food Service Program, filling a vital seasonal gap in healthy eating for many children who participate in the school breakfast and lunch programs the rest of the year.

Maximize Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP is the number one means by which low-income families receive the support they need to purchase nutritious food — but one-half of those who are eligible do not receive them. Minimize the barriers to access and information that currently prevent people from receiving needed benefits.

Ensure Access to a Nutritious Diet for All Pregnant Women and Preschool Children: WIC, which assists pregnant women and their newborn babies, and Child and Adult Care Food Program, which funds meals provided to low-income preschool children, are highly successful programs not yet reaching all eligible participants.

Ensure Access to Nutritious Food in Shelters and Food Pantries: Provide all low-income families in Arizona with access to nutritious food in family shelters and neighborhood food pantries.